CHERRY VALLEY — FedEx will move its ground operations into the Rock 39 Industrial Park, becoming one of its first significant inhabitants and positioning the Rock River Valley as one of Illinois’ logistics capitals.

Christiansen said FedEx finalized the property purchase Tuesday at the still-developing industrial park near Interstate 39 and Baxter Road. FedEx representatives could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Christiansen said that once the company’s ground operations are up and running, it could be the economic boost the Rock River Valley has needed.

“(And) the other very positive thing about FedEx is it’s typically followed by other e-commerce businesses,” Christiansen said. “This is great news as far as we’re concerned. We’re hopeful this is a start of many more projects there.”

Nearby is a UPS air hub and Con-way Freight operations.

Christiansen’s announcement comes amid other positives.

Woodward Inc. plans to hire about 175 people in 2015 when its new manufacturing campus is completed in Loves Park. The company makes fuel systems for aircraft and already employs 1,400 locally.

GE Aviation is expanding its operations at 1354 Clifford Ave. The company is doubling its space in the 453,600-square-foot plant, going from 75,000 square feet to 151,921. GE employs about 200 people at the former Barber-Colman plant, adding 34 of those workers in 2013.

Meijer is building nearly 400,000-square-feet grocery stores in Machesney Park and Rockford that will employ more than 500 between them. The stores are scheduled to open in the spring of 2015. Meijer also is looking at building a store in South Beloit.

Freeport-based Mechanical Inc. is investing $3 million in a 40,000-square-foot building on Falcon Drive and creating five jobs.

And the Illinois Department of Employment Security announced last month the jobless rate in Boone and Winnebago counties fell to 9.2 percent. For the first time since November 2008, the Rockford metropolitan area wasn’t a major urban area suffering from double-digit unemployment rates.

Winnebago County began in 2011 to develop Rock 39 Industrial Park bringing water and other infrastructure meant to lure manufacturers, distributors and other employers to the area. The county sees potential for the park to one day be home to businesses that could employ up to 5,000 people.

Rockford Chamber of Commerce board member Larry Bridgeland issued a “good for them” when hearing of the latest business development in Winnebago County.

“The marketplace is always changing,” said Bridgeland, president at Mid-City Office Products. “Competition is good. I love UPS. They’re a wonderful company, and I think they will be here for a long time to come. But competition is not bad.”

Page 2 of 2 - Winnebago County Board members had been reviewing a proposal to expand Rock 39’s sanitary sewer system. However, within the last week, Christiansen and the Rock River Water Reclamation District negotiated for the district to handle both construction and costs.

The county should save $1.3 million in the process.

Public Works Committee Chairman Kyle Logan said the county consequently can put that money toward more roads and infrastructure.

“It’s one of the biggest win-wins I’ve seen,” Logan said of the FedEx news.

County Board member Angie Goral said she’s known for some time the county was negotiating for a big business to move into Rock 39. She learned Tuesday that business was FedEx.